Matchday 28 of the 2025/26 La Liga season offered another defining chapter in the title race, as the leading contenders continued to trade blows heading into the final stretch.
With just ten games remaining, every result is beginning to carry added weight, and the latest round of fixtures in La Liga once again reshaped the narrative at both ends of the table. Real Madrid kept themselves firmly in contention with a commanding win, while Barcelona maintained their advantage at the summit with another dominant display.
Atletico Madrid continued to build momentum despite being out of the title race, and elsewhere, struggles for European qualification and survival added further intrigue to an action-packed weekend. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at five key takeaways from Matchday 28.
Real Madrid’s La Liga campaign is back on track
Real Madrid squared up against Elche this weekend, and they put up a dominant display to secure a comfortable 4-1 win, with Arda Guler stealing the spotlight with a goal from inside his own half. While they might not have dominated the ball, they did create quite a few chances and made it count.
Since suffering consecutive defeats at the hands of Osasuna and Getafe, which were massive blows to their La Liga title hopes, Los Blancos have now won each of their last three games in all competitions. The win over Manchester City at home was a massive boost, and they have backed it up with a great performance against Elche.
With this win, the Merengues remain within touching distance of leaders Barcelona, who are four points clear at this stage heading into the final 10 games. Alvaro Arbeloa’s men seem to have peaked at the right moment.
Barcelona edge closer to defending the league title
With a convincing 5-2 win over Sevilla in Matchday 28, Barcelona retain their four-point lead at the top of the table heading into the final ten La Liga games of the campaign. While they have not been consistent enough in Europe, Hansi Flick’s men certainly have been the team to beat in Spain.
In the game against Sevilla, they dominated the ball and created quite a few chances. Raphinha bagged a hat-trick, while Dani Olmo and Joao Cancelo also added their names to the scoresheet. While their attacks look as convincing as ever, their defence certainly has not been up to the mark this season.
Flick hopes his team’s attacking firepower is enough to see the season through with Real Madrid on their heels. They will also look to translate this form into the UEFA Champions League when they host Newcastle.
Espanyol extend their winless run to 11 games
Given the kind of form Espanyol have been in this year, not many will believe that they were serious contenders for a top-four spot in La Liga until the end of 2025. However, they have been one of the most inconsistent teams in Spain this year.
The Catalonian outfit have failed to win any of their last 11 La Liga outings. They have lost seven of those fixtures and have played out a draw in the remaining four. Espanyol took the lead against RCD Mallorca following a strike by Charles Pickel. They were in control of the proceedings, but Pickel ended up getting sent off, and that swung the momentum in Mallorca’s favour.
With a one-man advantage, Mallorca scored twice and ended up securing a 2-1 win. With this defeat, Espanyol’s chances of securing a European spot look very bleak, while Martin Demichelis secured his first win since taking charge and helped his team climb out of the drop zone.
Atletico Madrid make it four straight wins in La Liga
While Diego Simeone’s men are already out of the title race, as they are 13 points behind the leaders, they are trying to ensure they finish the season on a high. Their priority is to try to win the Copa del Rey as well as the Champions League, but they are giving equal importance to the league as well.
Since their shocking 3-0 defeat to Rayo Vallecano, Simeone’s charges have won each of their last four league outings. While the Argentine manager rotated his squad with the Champions League fixture coming up, his team still managed to secure a 1-0 win over Getafe.
They might not have been at their best in the final third, but they did boss the proceedings. It was not their best performances, but the manager would still be happy with the result as the majority of his stars started on the bench.
Athletic Club’s European dreams take another hit
Having finished fourth last season and managed to keep Nico Williams at the club, Athletic Club were hoping to build on it. But things have not gone according to plan for them, as they have been inconsistent since the start of the season.
After playing out a draw against Rayo Vallecano and suffering a defeat at the hands of Barcelona, Athletic Club were hoping to return to winning ways against Girona, but they ended up suffering a 3-0 defeat, with Hugo Rincon producing a stunning performance against his parent club.
The young full-back bagged a goal and was one of the standout performers from this fixture. While Athletic Club will be pleased to see his development as a player, his performance has complicated the chances of his parent club securing a European spot, as they are now six points behind sixth-placed Celta Vigo.